Headstand is hard to practice at home if you have trouble getting up into the pose without help.  In this chapter of Arogya Yoga, Mr. Iyengar gives a couple of tips.

One is to go up into the corner of a room.  It’s surprising how cozy and safe this can feel. FOr safety, make sure that at least 2 legs of the chair are on a yoga mat so it doesn’t slide when you push up off of it. Also, notice how it is off to the side. You don’t want to bang your shins on the way down.

Another technique is to use a hallway.

A third way is to use a chair or even your bed to raise your legs to help you get up.  The bed is a little better because its softer if you come down fast, but your bed has to be close to the wall for this method to work.

Things to consider when going up into Sirsasana:

• In the beginning it is best to have your knuckles touching the wall.

• Beginners tend to bicycle their legs up to the wall with their legs bent.  If the sole of the foot hits the wall, it may rebound you back to the floor. It’s best to try to reach the heel to the wall.  Better yet is to try to keep the top leg straight and reach for the wall with your inner thigh.  The bottom leg can bend as you push off of the floor. 

• Keep the hips level.  If one hip lifts (usually the lifted leg) and the other hip drops, this can cause you to tip over as you try to kick up.  Learning to keep the hips level makes you feel more secure in your approach to Sirsasana.      

BKS IYengar says: “Understanding and awareness are of the utmost importance in learning any asana.  Nothing should be learned mechanically.  Asana sadhana (practice)implies conscious and intelligent effort. “

If you’d like to read the whole chapter in its entirety with instructions on how to get up into Sirsasana, click here.